Duchesne County Utah

Duchesne County is a county equivalent area found in Utah, USA. The county government of Duchesne is found in the county seat of Duchesne. With a total 8,432.68 sq. km of land and water area, Duchesne County, Utah is the 168th largest county equivalent area in the United States. Home to 20,380 people, Duchesne County has a total 9627 households earning 57683 on average per year. 18 September 1776 The Dominguez–Escalante Expedition came from the east where they crossed Blue Bench and descended into the valley north of the present-day town of Duchesne. We ascended a not very high mesa [Blue Bench] which was level and very stony, traveled about three quarters of a league including ascent and descent, crossed another small river [Duchesne River] which near here enters the San Cosme (Strawberry River), named it Santa Catherina de Sena, and camped on its banks. Along these three rivers we have crossed today there is plenty of good land for crops to support three good settlements, with opportunities for irrigation, beautiful cottonwood groves, good pastures, with timber and firewood nearby. During the winter of 1901 (Thomas) hauled supplies from Heber to the now Duchesne area, to the sheep herd camp of John E. Austin, a brother-in-law. Together with three herders, Mr. Thomas tended sheep on the West bench (D-hill) near the (Theodore) cemetery site. They moved the herds to the East desert for the winter months. The Indians had quite a village where Duchesne is now. It was a winter camp and in spring they scattered. A fence was stretched across the Indian Canyon as pasture for the horses that grazed there on 8″ and 10″ salt grass. Segue see Jack (Ute tribe leader) refused settlers (sheep herders) permission to trespass the village site.

The Indians feared the sheep would eat the good grasses. 1905–1906 On June 7, 1905 the Secretary of the Interior directed the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to select one or more tracts of land in the Uintah Reservation suitable for town sites, so they might be reserved as such under the statutes of the United States. Three sites were designated, which are the current sites of Duchesne, Myton, and Randlett. A month later President Theodore Roosevelt approved the selections and declared these lands reserved as town sites. On August 28 the US government opened up the Uintah Basin to settlement of land they had acquired from the Ute Indians under the allotment act of 1891. “Land lotteries” were held in Vernal, Provo, Price, Grand Junction, Colorado, and Vernal, where each person was given a ticket with a number.

On August 28 numbers 1 through 111 were allowed to make their claim. On August 29 the next 111 people could make their claim and so on. 60 people, 46 adults and 14 children settled on the town site that is now Duchesne and called it by its first name, “Elsie” (Glen). Government surveyors laid out the streets, and the survey was accepted by the government on 18 October 1905. The first cabin was built by Charles Dickerson and Charles Ragland in October 1905. A.M. Murdock with the help of a few men put up a large circus tent to act as a trading post and post office. The name of the town was changed to Dora for a short time, after Murdock’s 23-year-old daughter, and then changed once again to “Theodore”, in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt. On September 15, 1905, Robert Duchesne Marsh was the first “white” child born in the town site. The first winter was harsh, and the residents were living in tents or other temporary shelter. When spring came the high water of the Duchesne River overflowed its banks, flooding the town. On July 13, 1914, Wasatch County was divided and Duchesne County was created. Duchesne was made the county seat on Nov 5, 1914, by popular vote of the citizens of the county.

The name “Duchesne” is taken from the name of the river that runs through town and may have been named by fur trappers in the 1820s in honor of Mother Rose Philippine Duchesne, founder of the School of the Sacred Heart near St. Louis, Missouri, although other theories as to the name exist. Duchesne is located just west of the junction of the Strawberry and Duchesne rivers in the Uintah Basin of northeastern Utah. The Duchesne River drains the southwest slope of the Uinta Mountains, and the Strawberry River drains the eastern slopes of the Wasatch Range and is connected to Strawberry Reservoir. The two rivers combine at Duchesne, and the Duchesne River continues east to join the Green River at Ouray, Utah. Native stands of cottonwood trees and willows grow along the river banks, while sagebrush and rabbit brush fill the un-irrigated bench tops. Alfalfa is the main cultivated crop of farmers in the area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2), all of it land.

Amenities

• Duchesne Library
• Swimming pool
• Bowling alley
• Skate park
• Two community parks, which include slides, swings, picnic tables, a football field, and baseball diamonds
• Boardwalk along the Strawberry River, with a great view of surrounding scenery
• Ice skating pond, seasonal and located behind the library
• Duchesne County Fair Grounds with covered rodeo arena
• Duchesne County Centennial Event Center, 2000 seat indoor arena, multiple conference rooms with seating up to 300

Duchesne City and the surrounding area plays host to some of the best camping, fishing, boating, hunting, hiking, water skiing, and ATV riding in the state. 4 miles (6 km) to the west of Duchesne city is Starvation State Park. Starvation Reservoir on the Strawberry River was created as part of the Central Utah Project and is a great fishing and boating lake with stocks of rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, and Utah chub. The current catch and release state record for walleye and Utah chub are held at Starvation. The reservoir has 3,500 acres (14 km2) of surface area and is great for boating. There are four boat ramps; the largest is at the marina which also hosts RV parking, boat docks, camp sites, hot showers, and an RV waste dump. Activities at Starvation Reservoir include the annual Starvation Walleye Classic and Desert Bass Busters Club Tourney. On the banks of the Strawberry River that runs through town is a boardwalk that not only has beautiful views but also is great to fish from. Other great stream fishing can be had on the Duchesne River and Rock Creek. The High Uintah wilderness area is 30 miles (48 km) to the north and boasts great hiking, fishing and alpine camping. ATV riding is permitted within city limits. The Yellow Stone and Reservation Ridge ATV trails are located with 20 miles (32 km) of town.

Duchesne sits at the junction of three wildlife management units and is home to world-class big game hunting. Mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, black bear, and mountain lion can be observed within miles of town.

Transportation

Duchesne sits at the junction of U.S. Route 40, U.S. Route 191, and State Route 87. US-191 from Duchesne to Helper is designated the Indian Canyon National Scenic Byway. Duchesne Municipal Airport (Airnav U69) is located 2 miles (3 km) northeast of town on the Blue Bench. The airport has a 5,800 by 60 ft (1,768 by 18 m) asphalt runway. Runway edge lights are medium intensity available from dusk – dawn; activate MIRL RY 17/35 & PAPI 17/35 – CTAF. The proposed Uinta Basin Rail project would build a new railroad line into Duchesne for transporting oil drilled in the area.

Points of interest

• Grave of William Long, aka Harry Longabaugh, aka “the Sundance Kid”. Research is underway that may prove that the Sundance Kid did not die in Bolivia in 1908 but returned to his family in Utah and bought and operated a farm 2 miles (3 km) east of Duchesne until his death in 1936. He is buried in the Duchesne City cemetery.
• Pope Museum: Home of Duchesne pioneers Fred and Marie Pope. Museum contains miniature, true to scale, vehicles that depict the life style of the early settlers of the Uintah Basin. Museum is located at 370 West 100 North.
• Theodore Cemetery: Early pioneer cemetery that functioned from 1906 until January 1914. John Jacobs was the first burial. 41 early settlers are buried here. The cemetery was abandoned because of the difficulty of digging graves in the cobblestone-laden soil. The cemetery was recently restored, and a large monument with names and information is located on the north end of the cemetery. Located on “D” hill, take the dirt road on the west end of town up the hill and turn east at the top. Travel east 300 yards to the monument.
• Father Escalante Monument: North of Highway 40 on east entrance of town
• Early Duchesne Settlement Monument: 130 West Main on north side of the road
• War Memorial, World War I monument, World War II monument, Korean War monument, Vietnam War monument, Desert Storm monument: all located at 150 West Main.
• Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne Monument: by front entrance of the Pope Museum.

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,690 people, 797 households, and 601 families residing in the city. The population density was 893 people per square mile. There were 550 housing units at an average density of 238.8 per square mile (92.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.01% White, 0.0% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.64% from other races, and 0.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.57% of the population. There were 797 households out of which 44.67% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.82% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.55. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 31.88% under the age of 18, 14.45% from 18 to 24, 21.72% from 25 to 44, 20.81% from 45 to 64, and 10.15% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 11.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $46,318 and the median income for a family was $58,009. The per capita income for the city was $20,262.

Duchesne County UT Cities, Towns, & Neighborhoods
• Altamont
• Bluebell
• Duchesne
• Myton
• Neola
• Roosevelt
• Tabiona
Other Populated Places in Duchesne County
• Altonah
• Arcadia
• Boneta
• Bridgeland
• Cedarview
• Fruitland
• Hanna
• Ioka
• Monarch
• Moon Lake Lodge
• Moon Lake Resort
• Mount Emmons
• Mountain Home
• Talmage
• Upalco
• Utahn

Duchesne County Utah Court Directory

The Utah trial court system consists of District Courts, Juvenile Courts, and Justice Courts. Below is a directory of court locations in Duchesne County. Links for online court records and other free court resources are provided for each court, where available.

District Courts in Duchesne County
• 8th District Court – Duchesne County (Duchesne)
21554 West 9000 South, PO Box 990, Duchesne, UT 84021
Phone: 435-738-2753
Fax: 435-738-2754
• 8th District Court – Duchesne County (Roosevelt)
255 South State, PO Box 1286, Roosevelt, UT 84066
Phone: 435-722-0235
Fax: 435-722-0236
Juvenile Courts in Duchesne County
• 8th District Juvenile Court – Duchesne County (Duchesne)
21554 West 9000 South, PO Box 990, Duchesne, UT 84021
Phone: 435-738-2753
Fax: 435-738-2754
• 8th District Juvenile Court – Duchesne County (Roosevelt)
255 South State, PO Box 1286, Roosevelt, UT 84066
Phone: 435-722-0235
Fax: 435-722-0236
Justice Courts in Duchesne County
• Duchesne County Justice Court
21554 West 9000 South, PO Box 15, Duchesne, UT 84021
Phone: 435-738-0109
Fax: 435-738-0115
Duchesne County Website: www.duchesne.utah.gov

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